GlobalUpdateEurope Glass Association Calls for Action
in Chinese Solar Glass InvestigationGlass for Europe, an association made up of Europe’s flat glass
manufacturers, has issued a statement related to the European Commission’s
(EC) anti-subsidy investigation into imports of solar glass from China.
In it the association calls on the EC to “impose measures on solar glass
imports originating from China with a view to restoring fair competition
and to allow the European Union (EU) solar glass industry to continue
to develop sustainably and make available innovative solar glass products.”

“Alongside the solar panels cases, these investigations
into solar glass illustrate the fundamental disruptions to the overall
solar value-chain caused by unfair and harmful trade practices by Chinese
producers typically dependent upon unduly generous financial and economic
support of Chinese States bodies and other related entities,” writes the
group. “The outcome of the trade investigations will send an important
signal to Europe’s manufacturing industries in respect of the credibility
of the EU’s re-industrialization objective as well as Europe’s will to
ensure that European-based industries are given the opportunity to benefit
from the transition towards a competitive low carbon economy.”

AGC Glass Europe, NSG-Group, Saint-Gobain Glass and Sisecam-Trakya
Cam are all members of the group, which works in association with Guardian.
The EC began its anti-subsidy investigation into imports of solar glass
from China in April, based on a complaint filed by another association,
EU ProSun Glass. EU ProSun Glass claims solar glass from China is being
subsidized in China and then sold in the EU at prices below market value
and is causing material injury to the EU solar glass industry.

The EC began a related anti-dumping investigation in February.

Guardian Industries Celebrates Anniversary
Guardian Industries hosted a triple anniversary celebration—one, five
and ten years—in June at its Goole plant in northern England. The plant
began operations in 2003, expanded in 2008 with a glass laminating line,
and added a glass coater last year, according to a company release. The
company also unveiled its new advanced magnetron sputter coater,which
will allow the Goole plant to produce high-performance Guardian ClimaGuard
low-E glass products.

“We have successfully navigated a double dip recession
and managed to achieve growth at a time when many well-established companies
have fallen short,” says Mark Bristow, Guardian regional manager for the
UK and Ireland. “We greatly attribute this success to our ‘best-in-service’
approach and our commitment to the independent glass and glazing industry
that has shown the same strength and ability to adapt that we have. This
mutual support and success is certainly something to be celebrated.”

Glaston Closes Multi-Million Dollar Deal
in China
Glaston recently closed a EUR 3.4 million (approximately $4.4 million
USD) deal with Jin Jing Group of China, a company with which Glaston says
it has a long-term customer relationship.

The deal includes the purchase of two Glaston CCS900™ double-chamber
tempering furnaces, one FC500™ flat tempering furnace, one XtraEdge™ 2640-10
double-edging line and one real-time iLooK™ quality measurement system.
The machines were included in Glaston’s Q1/2013 order book.

The heat treatment lines and iLooK™ are manufactured in
Tianjin, China, and the pre-processing line in Bregnano, Italy. The machines
will be delivered to the customer in Beijing, China during the third and
fourth quarter of 2013.